Ole Miss Basketball Preview: The Rebels Host the Alabama Crimson Tide/Elephants

The Ole Miss Rebels (16-11, 7-7 SEC) look at avenge a last second loss earlier this month to the Alabama Crimson Tide (11-16, 5-9 SEC) Wednesday night at the Tad Pad in a game which can, at this point, only really impact seeding in the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. CT, and will be televised on ESPN3 and WatchESPN.

While Alabama might barely qualify as a middling SEC team, there's a reason folks are hyping Alabama's Trevor Releford as a potential SEC Player of the Year. The senior guard is averaging 19.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. In his last outing against the Rebs, he had 26 points, five boards and three assists, and drove the nail into the coffin of the Rebs' bubble chances with a three pointer just before the buzzer in a 67-64 win.

While Releford really is the Alabama basketball team, another name you'll probably hear a lot to night is Retin Obasohan, the sophomore guard out of Belgium who is averaging just under ten points and three boards a game. He is second on the team in points behind Releford and second in blocks behind forward Jimmie Taylor.

Rodney Cooper and Levi Randolph lead the Tide in rebounds with 134 and 100 respectively.

For Ole Miss to win this one, they'll need to keep doing what it is that they're doing in the Tad Pad which, simply enough, is just playing better basketball. The Rebs are 5-2 at home against the SEC (as opposed to 2-5 away), making shots at a .064 higher rate and rebounding at a 7.3 better margin. Frankly, this is as "gimme" a win the Rebs will have left this year, so they ought to make it count.

WHO?
The Ole Miss Rebels and the Alabama Crimson Tide

WHAT?
Men's Basketball

WHEN?
7:00 PM Central

WHERE?
The Randy Kennedy Memorial Natatorium

WHY?
I don't know.

HOW?
ESPN3 or WatchESPN
Ole Miss Radio Affiliates
Sirius 136
XM 201